![]() ![]() Someone who probably wouldn’t agree with you, th0ugh, is BBC World Service listener, Hannah. We’ll find out if your optimistic answer is the correct one later in the programme. I’ll choose the largest – 80 percent… but then, I’m optimistic so I would say that! So, what proportion of the British population, do you think, describe themselves as optimistic? Is it: Psychologists define optimism as an attitude which overestimates the chances of good things happening to you, while underestimating the chances of bad things occurring. I’ve got a good feeling about this, Neil!īut first, as usual, I have a question for you, Sam. Yes, whether you’re a sunny optimist or a gloomy pessimist may be determined more by your birthplace and your age than your attitude, as we’ll be finding out in this programme. Hmm, it sounds like Neil is more of a glass-half-empty person, but the truth is that the age-old debate between optimism and pessimism is more complex than we think. Call me a pessimist if you like but I’m just being realistic. Look, things go wrong all the time - that’s a fact of life. It sounds like you’re a glass-half-full person – someone who always thinks that good things will happen. I hope so! I try to see the positive side of life, even when something bad happens. We often hear phrases such as, ‘dream big’ or, ‘reach for the stars’ which reflect an optimistic view of life. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript. hyperactive, hypersensitiveĭescribes someone who complains a lot, is moody and intolerant, and gets easily annoyed Transcript (prefix) having too much of a quality eg. To make something seem better than it really is (US slang) someone who makes others feel bad by focussing on the bad or depressing side of things Someone with an optimistic attitude who tends to focus on the positive side of life Listen to the programme to find out the answer. What proportion of the British population, do you think, describe themselves as optimistic? Is it: Neil and Sam talk about optimists and pessimists. Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Which one you are may be linked more to your birthplace and age than attitude. ![]()
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